All My Heart

9th August 2009
Weybridge, Surrey

"Gordon's coming over for dinner tonight."

Aria instantly cringed, though she masked her expression into neutrality almost immediately after. She'd never liked Gordon. She was happy that her mother seemed happy, absolutely, but she just didn't like the guy that apparently brought her happiness.

He was a looker, for sure, but his personality was complete and utter shit.

Besides, what kind of name was Gordon?

So maybe he was a total sweetheart to Natalia (her mother), but he was an asshole to her. He'd had dinner with Aria and Natalia, together, twice before, and the first time they'd met - Gordon had immediately said that he wondered how she was her mother's daughter. It could've been a compliment, but with the way he said it? There was no way. Her mother was oblivious to the clear insult, but Aria wasn't. Aria knew that he was basically saying that while her mother was beautiful, she wasn't. At all.

It wasn't like Aria thought herself to be beautiful in any way, but it still hurt.

"Honey, Gordon's here." Natalia called from the living room, earning a silent groan from the younger girl before she, very reluctantly, got to her feet, brushing out the creases in the dress that her mother had requested her to be in.

"Aria. Looking --" Gordon trailed off, scrutinising her outfit. "Not as beautiful as your mother." He finished, earning an eye roll from the younger girl and a confused frown from the older woman.

"Ari, take Gordon's coat, yeah?" Natalia smiled gently at her daughter.

Gordon smiled gratefully at Natalia as he shrugged off his coat. As Natalia turned to head into the dining room area, Gordon turned to Aria with a nasty smirk along his lips. "Look at you. Already practicing for what you'll be doing in the future."

Aria narrowed her eyes over at him, but she bit her tongue. Her mother was happy. That was all she had to remind herself. Natalia was happy.

Dinner was pleasant, for the most part. It was only when Natalia had gone into the kitchen and returned with dessert when Gordon opened his mouth. He glanced at Natalia and then fixed his gaze on Aria.

"So... Aria." He started, only earning a second of eye contact from the girl before she directed her attention back to the apple crumble on her plate. "Law, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't take your A-levels?"

"I didn't want to." Aria shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't want a secure future?" Gordon raised a brow.

She raised one right back. "I'm already studying Law, aren't I?"

"Why Law, though?" He asked. "Why not Business, or Engineering? I'm sure you'd have more chance of a future if you'd have taken any other course other than Law."

Aria looked up, eyebrows knotted together. "I'm sorry... Am I supposed to care about what you think?" She asked, blinking her eyes innocently.

"Ari..." Natalia trailed off in a semi-warning tone, frowning at her daughter, earning a small shrug of her shoulders in response.

"You'll go to hell when you die. That's where all lawyers end up." Gordon spoke, a smug smile on his lips - like it was supposed to matter to Aria.

"So as long as you're not there, hell will be my paradise." Aria bit back, a sarcastic grin playing along her lips before it dropped and she rolled her eyes.

Gordon stared her down. "Talia, may I have some more of your apple crumble?" Gordon spoke up suddenly, turning to Natalia.

"Um... Sure...?" With that, she stood up, grabbing his empty plate and heading into the kitchen to get another slice for him.

The moment she left, Gordon pounced. "When I marry your mother, I'll convince her to stop paying your tuition fees for you stupid Law."

"I'll get a job." She replied easily, not even fazed by the confidence in his tone when he said that he'd marry her mother.

"I have connections - I'll taint your name so no one will want to hire you." He spat.

Aria finally glared at him, throwing her fork down. "What the fuck is your problem with me?!"

"You're pathetic, that's what!" He yelled. "Your mother is perfect and you're everything she's not! When I marry her and start a family with her, I'll find a way to disown you. You'll be left with nothing because that's what you are: nothing. You'll never be good enough for anyone. Hell, I'd be happy if you fucking killed yourself -"

"Get out of my house."

Gordon and Aria's heads snapped towards the source of the sound, where an expressionless but beautiful middle-aged woman stood, a plate of apple crumble in her hand.

"Talia -"

"Out." Natalia simply said, glaring down at him with her eyes. Gordon opened his mouth, probably to spew some other stupid excuse out, but Natalia cut him off before he could. "Out!" She yelled this time, making him sigh dejectedly, send a harsh glare over in Aria's direction before he sauntered out the door.

The moment he did, Aria leaned her back against the chair she was sitting on, bringing her legs up to her chest and hugging them tightly. What if he was right? What if she would never be good enough for anyone? What if everyone would honestly rather she be dead than her imperfect self?

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Natalia cooed, her arms wrapping around her daughter who had never looked so fragile. "I'm so sorry he said all those things to you."

"B-b-but he's right," she stuttered out, a traitorous tear sliding down her cheekbone. "I'm so... Not perfect."

"Honey, you're perfect just the way you are." Natalia scolded her, rubbing her hands up and down Aria's arms in a comforting manner.

Aria shook her head, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Mum." She whispered into her mother's shoulder, her face buried in her chest - just like it would be when she was but a little girl.

"Sorry for what, lovely?"

"I'm sorry I'm not perfect."

***

16th April 2013
St. Petersburg, FL

Aria stood by the doorway of the room which was currently occupied by the boys of You Me At Six, and a couple hundred lucky fans that managed to get the meet-and-greet tickets before they sold out. She chatted freely with most of the fans that passed by her with large grins, all excited to meet their idols and with nothing to bring them down from their high. The security guard by the doorway was also ridiculously nice, as opposed to how intimidating he looked on the outside.

Five days into the tour and Aria was still having a great time. No fan had accused her of being a slut - online or offline -, no contact from her dickhead of an ex, and there was basically no worries for her. She'd been getting slideshows from her lectures every other day, and since she sometimes couldn't sleep, she'd be studying through the night, not putting her behind her lecture-mates. Life was good.

The sound of a phone ringing made her cut the conversation that she'd been having with a particularly teary-eyed pair short, smiling apologetically in their direction before darting outside to pick up the call. Her forehead creased at the 'Unknown Number' that lighted up her screen, but she picked up the call anyway, thinking it was one of her acquaintances from school.

"Hello?" She answered, receiving nothing in response. "Uh, hello?" She tried again, receiving silence, yet again.

Aria pulled the phone away, looking at the screen to see that it was still connected. So she brought the phone to her ear once more, her frown even deeper as she plugged an ear with her finger and walked further away, thinking there was something wrong with the reception. "Hello?"

"Hello, my dear."

Aria froze in her tracks, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Strangers that saw her sudden halt in movements merely rolled their eyes before walking around her.

"Did you miss me?"

He didn't even give Aria a chance to reply. For he simply breathed a chuckle, the sound of it sending shivers down her spine - and not in the good way.

"Of course you did." James chuckled. "You don't look half bad today, my dear."

Aria's eyes widened at that statement, and she started to turn around, looking for him. Half of her wanted to believe that he was just bullshitting her, but the other half of her knew that when he wanted something, he always got it. Last she checked, he wanted her, and he hadn't got her. Yet.

"Those jeans make your legs look amazing. And I've always liked you in denim tops. What does yours say? Pierce The...? Wheel?" He guessed, making her heart stop.

There was no way he was bullshitting her. He could see her. She knew for sure, simply because the guys in PTV had given her the denim vest for no particular reason, just saying that if she were to survive the whole tour with eight other blokes, being the only female, she deserved a reward. The Pierce The Veil denim vest was her 'reward.'

"Oh." James laughed suddenly. "Pierce The Veil. That's what it says." He laughed more, ending it with a sigh. "Here comes your knight in shining armour." He mocked.

Aria's breathing was irregular now, but she turned anyway, looking for whoever he was referring to. Maybe she'd be able to see him and be able to get the fuck away from him. Her eyes landed on a familiar, lean figure, decked out in Key Street clothing and skinny jeans, as well as a snapback, placed back-to-front. Dan frowned at her, concern written on his face as he picked up his pace towards her once he'd noticed the downright terrified gleam in her eyes.

"I don't know why he still sticks around." He commented nonchalantly. "I mean, he could do so much better than you. The only person you'll ever be enough for... Is me. You're not anything special. You're not nearly as perfect as you think you are."

"I'm not perfect." Aria finally managed to whisper, having stayed silent the entire conversation.

"Ah, so she does speak." He mocked with laughter. "You think you're perfect, though. You try so hard to be perfect but... You never will be."

"What do you want from me?" Aria managed to choke out, tears brimming the corner of her eyes.

"You." With that, he cut the call.

Dan reached her just before she could collapse to the floor in a heap. Her eyes were half-lidded and the colour was gone from her skin. He pulled her up by the arm, grabbing her phone from her hands and sliding it into his back pocket since he knew that she wouldn't appreciate it if she dropped her own phone and cracked the screen or something. He placed his hands on her shoulder, shaking her gently, successfully grasping her attention.

"Ari, calm down." He spoke slowly, his voice quiet before he realised that they would still, ultimately, attract the attention of the nosy passers-by. "Come on." He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist and walking her into the alley a few metres away.

Dan gently pushed her up against the wall, his hands brushing her hair out of her face, trying to get her to look at him. "Ari?" He called softly, his thumbs rubbing small circles on her smooth skin.

She finally looked up at him and Dan could've sworn he felt his heart break a little as he saw her fear clouded and tear infested eyes. "He's here." She whispered, voice shaky.

Dan tensed up, a frown marring his handsome face. "How do you know?"

"He called."

"What? Where is he?" He practically growled, turning his head to look out of the alleyway they were in, his eyes glaring at any passers-by that gave him odd looks. And Dan's glares? They were the type of glares that would make you want to run home, curl up into a ball and never see the light from the sun again.

"He could see me. He saw you, too." She whispered, shaking her head as she finally allowed a tear to escape. "I'm sorry, Dan. I'm so sorry."

Dan snapped his head back to Aria's so fast that he was surprised he didn't get a whiplash. He frowned, using a hand to cup her chin and make her look up at him. "What are you sorry for? It's not your fault he's crazy and here." Dan tried to joke, though his smile probably came out more like a grimace.

She shook her head, her eyes focusing on the white font of his t-shirt instead. "I'm sorry for being such a burden. I'm sorry for being pathetic. I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry for being stupid. I'm sorry for being ... Me. I'm sorry for not being perfect." Her voice cracked at the last bit, but she gulped, clenching her fists tighter while they rested on Dan's chest. "I keep trying, and trying to be perfect - for Mum, for you, for Dad, for... For everyone. But I just keep failing and I... I'm not perfect but I keep trying to be. I'm just so afraid... I -... I don't want to lose anyone else. I'm not.. I'm not alive if I'm lonely and I'm afraid that once you figure out that I'm so... So imperfect, then you'll leave. Please don't leave, I'm sorry."

And just like that, Dan's heart shattered into a million tiny pieces as it slid through the cracks of his ribcage. He drew in a shaky breath, opting to wrap his arms around her shoulders instead of using actual words. She hadn't moved her hands from where they rested on his chest, but her fists slowly unclenched as he hugged her tighter, doing what Rose had promised to Jack - never letting go. Not the best analogy, seeing as how she did let go, but it didn't really matter in that moment.

He pulled away when her fingers splayed out on his chest and he felt his t-shirt getting slightly damp. Dan used his hands to make her look up at him again, either hand on either side of her face, a thumb wiping away her tears under each eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dan shrugged his shoulders casually. "You're the most perfect human being I've ever met in my entire life."

"Dan -"

Dan shook his head, leaning forward so that their foreheads touched. He drew back, smiling softly at her. "You," a kiss on the cheek. "Are," the other cheek. "So," a kiss on her forehead. "- perfect." He smiled, nudging her forehead gently with his.

Unconsciously, his tongue darted out along his lips, moistening them. His eyes darted down to her own set of perfect lips, wondering what it'd be like to finally kiss her. He inched closer, drawing in a breath as he realised that she didn't make a move to back away from him.

Just... a few... more... centimetres...-

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

The pair sprung apart, wide-eyed before they turned to face the owner of the angry voice. They were met with the sight of a man, more than likely homeless and probably just a tad mentally ill, as he scowled at them.

"That's my fucking bed! Get your filthy shoes off of it!" He screamed, raising his fist and waving it at them.

Dan and Aria glanced down, noticing that they were standing on a piece of cardboard. They met each other eye's with equal amusement dancing in their eyes but neutral expressions on their faces.

"We're really sorry about that, sir." Dan apologised, gently grabbing Aria's wrist and tugging her to him as he slowly started to back away.

"Go back to your own fuckin' country!" The man yelled again, edging closer to them with his fist still poised in the air.

With another glance exchanged, the pair darted off running, both laughing softly. When they finally decided that they were safe, they were both taking heavy breaths, but not quite panting. They were both quite fit and the sprint was just a short one, so it didn't wind them that much.

"Thought you said America's going to be fun?" Aria teased light-heartedly, in between heavy breaths.

Dan shrugged a shoulder. "What, you saying that that wasn't fun?"

"Never particularly wanted to be yelled at by a homeless man."

"Really?" Dan mocked a tone of surprise. "Because that's the first thing on my bucket list!"

Aria nodded mockingly. "How about number two?"

"To get beat up by said homeless man."

"We can always go back..."

"Nah, let's keep that for another day."

The pair laughed, Dan wrapping his arm around her shoulder while hers went to wrap around his waist. And just like that, everything was okay again. Everything was... Perfect.